MetroMail (Gmail app) coming to Windows 8/RT

[apoelin]

The best Gmail app for Windows Phone, is now coming to Windows RT/8. We are at the final stages of development, and we would appreciate your help with beta testing.

Please join us here: http://1drv.ms/MbboG7. We will contact you soon with more details. Please make sure to check your spam folder over the next few days and make sure that you are able to receive our emails.

Link to the Windows Phone beta (now closed) thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-apps/245391-[beta]-metromail-gmail-app-wp8.html

Why should someone use this app over the native client?
- First-class support for archiving, starred emails, and labels
- No more broken threads when replying to emails
- Proper server-side search functionality with support for advanced search operators
- Support for multiple From addresses
- Support for meta-labels (e.g. Primary, Social, Priority)
- Instant toast notifications for new emails
- Night mode option for toast notifications
- Mark emails as spam option
- Support for inline replies (plain text only)
- Left/right flick gesture support for navigating through a folder
- Properly display long HTML emails
- Concatenate all email accounts under 1 unread counter on the main tile or the lock screen
- Custom tile colors for account tiles

[IMPORTANT] Device requirements:
- Windows 8.1/RT 8.1 only

Security & Privacy:
- The application only connects directly to Gmail servers (can be easily verified) and your password is never stored locally. It is as simple as that. The authentication process is no different than logging into Gmail through your device's web browser.

 

[RodimusMajor]

Signed up! I love the WP8 version of the app, and I'd been hoping for a while to see it come to Windows 8/RT. Can't wait to see the results!

 

[anseld1986]

Awesome! I love the phone version, so this is great news!
Now we just need to convince you to do a MetroCalendar app for Windows RT =)

 

[nasellok]

If you could make a Google Calendar app that syncs back and forth with my MS calendar id be so sold on this. Either way, going to give the app a shot, and see if its worth using outside the native mail application.

 

[GizmoEV]

Great! The WP version is coming along nicely!

BTW, I entered that I wanted to beta the WP version even though I am already on the beta. Hope that doesn't confuse anything. I looked for an option of "Already in beta" for that question.

Thanks,

 

[apoelin]

A small bump of this, in case more people are interested and have missed it. We are submitting an update to the Windows Phone version tomorrow, and after that we are putting the final touches on the Windows 8 beta. Expect more info soon! I apologize for the small delay!

 

[anseld1986]

Any updates on the beta release?

 

[apoelin]

Any updates on the beta release?

Sorry about the delay! Due to some other issues that came up, this had to be pushed back, hence the delay.

The good news is that we are almost there. I will release the beta this weekend, and in terms of functionality, I think the app is in a very good shape. It supports every Gmail function, and also integrates nicely with the OS, including support for making it the default app (optional), sharing things through the Charms bar and multiple window-sizes support. Stability-wise we are not 100% there yet, although the app is perfectly usable. Expect to see improvements to this very rapidly.

Last bump for this for anybody who is interested but hasn't submitted the form yet. Those who did submit your info, you can expect an email by tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience!

 

[RodimusMajor]

Sorry about the delay! Due to some other issues that came up, this had to be pushed back, hence the delay.

The good news is that we are almost there. I will release the beta this weekend, and in terms of functionality, I think the app is in a very good shape. It supports every Gmail function, and also integrates nicely with the OS, including support for making it the default app (optional), sharing things through the Charms bar and multiple window-sizes support. Stability-wise we are not 100% there yet, although the app is perfectly usable. Expect to see improvements to this very rapidly.

Last bump for this for anybody who is interested but hasn't submitted the form yet. Those who did submit your info, you can expect an email by tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience!

Did you make much progress over this past weekend? It sounds like a pretty awesome app, I'd love to see it in action.

 

[apoelin]

Did you make much progress over this past weekend? It sounds like a pretty awesome app, I'd love to see it in action.

I was actually ready to release the beta yesterday, but came across a disturbing, and slightly embarrassing for me discovery. My development experience on Windows platforms has only been with Windows Phone so far. I assumed when starting these threads that Windows 8 offers a way to beta test apps, similar to Windows Phone. It turns out, that it doesn't! I was honestly in shock when I found out about this, and annoyed enough that couldn't make myself send an email to the people who registered for the beta, offering an explanation. I will do that today. There's still a way to get the app and try it if you really want to, but you have to jump through many hoops, and there won't be any automatic updating of the beta: any time a new version is out, even for the smallest of fixes, you have to get the binaries from me and manually install them.

Anyway, sorry about this. I should had done my research before starting this thread, but I never considered it a possibility, given the support for betas in Windows Phone. I guess my only option is to test it with those who will be interested to do so, and release it after a few days in the public store (at a polishing-level nowhere close to what I would like it to be!).

 

[RodimusMajor]

I was actually ready to release the beta yesterday, but came across a disturbing, and slightly embarrassing for me discovery. My development experience on Windows platforms has only been with Windows Phone so far. I assumed when starting these threads that Windows 8 offers a way to beta test apps, similar to Windows Phone. It turns out, that it doesn't! I was honestly in shock when I found out about this, and annoyed enough that couldn't make myself send an email to the people who registered for the beta, offering an explanation. I will do that today. There's still a way to get the app and try it if you really want to, but you have to jump through many hoops, and there won't be any automatic updating of the beta: any time a new version is out, even for the smallest of fixes, you have to get the binaries from me and manually install them.

Anyway, sorry about this. I should had done my research before starting this thread, but I never considered it a possibility, given the support for betas in Windows Phone. I guess my only option is to test it with those who will be interested to do so, and release it after a few days in the public store (at a polishing-level nowhere close to what I would like it to be!).

Ouch... sorry to hear that, friend-- I wish you the best of luck with the rest of the process, then. It seems like this is the kind of thing MS should have made a bit more obvious...

I'm not sure if I'd be able to test it in the way you're saying, since I'm on RT and probably can't fulfill the "manual" part you mentioned, but I'd certainly have tried if I could.

 

[apoelin]

If you submitted the survey for the beta, please check your email for an important update.

Thank you!

 

[RodimusMajor]

If you submitted the survey for the beta, please check your email for an important update.

Thank you!

I got it and answered the new survey-- thanks!

 

[GizmoEV]

Ouch... sorry to hear that, friend-- I wish you the best of luck with the rest of the process, then. It seems like this is the kind of thing MS should have made a bit more obvious...

I'm not sure if I'd be able to test it in the way you're saying, since I'm on RT and probably can't fulfill the "manual" part you mentioned, but I'd certainly have tried if I could.

Actually you can manually install on RT. I've done this when beta testing Laridian PocketBible for Windows 8. The steps weren't too bad if you have used computers extensively or aren't afraid to try something new.

 

[RodimusMajor]

Actually you can manually install on RT. I've done this when beta testing Laridian PocketBible for Windows 8. The steps weren't too bad if you have used computers extensively or aren't afraid to try something new.

Well, that's encouraging. I wouldn't say I'm the MOST savvy guy around, but I certainly am open to trying new stuff.

 

[GizmoEV]

Well, that's encouraging. I wouldn't say I'm the MOST savvy guy around, but I certainly am open to trying new stuff.

I don't know if it is because I'd beta tested on my wife's Surface RT on my account or not but he beta install for MM was simpler than I remember for the first time install. I'm on my Lumina 2520 which I didn't have for my last beta testing. The download file is in a a.zip format so you will need to know how to open it with Windows Explorer and copy the contents to a new folder. This will extract everything for you. Then just right click or long hold on touch screen and select open with Power Shell. Follow directions after that acknowledging/confirming any questions asked. It took me through getting a MS developer account and then went back and finished installing the beta. It is worth a try if you are willing. Typically the more people and devices a piece of software is on the more likely it is that bugs will be caught before RTM.